1694 The Cornell Reading-Courses 



Plowing. — Plowing in spring or autumn is practiced to some extent 

 in western New York in the case of the red raspberry, the main reason 

 being to limit the width of the row. If the suckers that spring up from 

 the roots are not checked, the row will become so wide and the canes so 

 thick that the quality and quantity of the berries are decreased. A good 

 practice is to limit the width of the row to eight or twelve inches. Another 

 reason for plowing is to prevent heaving. The best practice is to throw 

 a light furrow up to the canes in autumn, and then plow it away in spring 

 or else work it away with a shovel cultivator. The plow is of little value 

 in the red raspberry patch as an aid in tillage, except for the purposes 

 mentioned above and when a cover-crop must be turned under. Growers 

 get good results with the use of the cultivator alone. 



Cultivating.— The work of cultivating is begun as early in spring as 

 possible and repeated about every two weeks until picking begins, except 

 during blossoming time or when the fruit is setting. Generally the patch 

 is given one good cultivation after picking in order to keep down weeds. 

 Some growers cultivate after each picking if the season is dry, although 

 it is not the common practice. A moderate growth of weeds is allowed 

 in August or September as a catch or robber crop. Although it is the 

 exception to plant a cover-crop, a few growers are doing this with good 

 results, the crops used being oats and clover. This practice is worthy 

 of further trial. 



Fertilization 



The red raspberry should receive a moderate amount of fertilizer, either 

 stable manure or commercial fertilizer or both, during the life of the patch. 

 It is true that this fruit will give good returns with less fertilizer than is 

 required by the currant and the gooseberry. It is not true, however, 

 as is sometimes stated, that the raspberry requires no fertilization. Pro- 

 fessor Craig* states that raspberries are not often, nor are they easily, 

 injured by too heavy manuring, the error usually being on the other 

 side. Cardf believes that red raspberries need fertilizing when grown on 

 very unproductive land. If this is the case, he would apply both stable 

 manure and commercial fertilizer, but in less quantities than for most 

 other fruits. He gives the following formula for a commercial fertilizer 

 to be applied to one acre, in connection with stable manure, and harrowed 

 in before setting the plants : 



Muriate of potash 50 pounds 



Ground bone 250 pounds 



In the study of the red raspberry in western New York, an effort 

 was made to find out what was the general practice as regards the 



* John ( raig Raspberries. Bulletin 22, Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Canada, p. 6. 

 t P. W. Card. Bush-Fruits, p. 45. 



